Name: Anne L. Cowgur

Firm Name: Bingham McHale, LLP

Address: 2700 Market Tower, 10 West Market Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Practice area: Business litigation, employment litigation and appeals

Nominated and Interviewed by: L. Leona Frank, President, Frank Law Office, P.C. in Indianapolis

 

Most successful/favorite rainmaking tip:

Remember that the world is round. Your opposing counsel becomes your referral source in cases where there are conflicts or multiple parties in need of representation, or situations outside of their expertise.

Percentage of time devoted to marketing:

Around 28 to 30 percent. However, there is some element of marketing in everything we do. When I represent a client, I handle the first matter in such a way that I will be hired for the next one. When I argue a case on appeal, I am hoping that colleagues and interested non-parties will appreciate the job that I am doing and consider me for their next appeal.

Proudest accomplishment:

When my oldest daughter started to take an interest in my career, the cases I am working on and what I do in a day "at work." People had told me in the past that what I missed out on in terms of time spent with her would be balanced against my being an inspiration and role model to her, and I finally started to believe that.

Knowing what you know now, if you were starting out as a lawyer today, what would you do differently?

I would have sought out a rainmaker mentor earlier in my career.

What has been your greatest frustration about trying to get new business or new clients?

It can be difficult for litigators to market their services. For example, given the professional rules of conduct where I practice, I cannot offer my services to someone I know needs them—i.e., someone who has just been sued—without an existing relationship. However, I cannot imagine that any litigator has had a great deal of success in handing people a card and saying, "Hey, great meeting you, call me if you ever get sued."

If you were mentoring a young woman lawyer, what advice would you give her regarding rainmaking?

Be kind to your fellow associates, opposing counsel and law school classmates because you never know which of them will become in-house counsel at a Fortune 500 company. (Besides, it is good karma.)

Have you ever had a mentor that made a genuine difference in how your career turned out? If yes, please describe the experience.

Yes, I had two—the senior partners at the small firm where I began my career. They took a genuine interest in helping me develop the skill set to succeed as a litigator. More importantly, they set an amazing example for me with respect to mentoring, civility, setting priorities and community.

Think about when you started out as a lawyer. Now think about the new female lawyers just starting out. What is different now compared to when you started?

When I started out as a new lawyer, I think the goal was to "make partner." I recently listened to a group of young lawyers whose comments led me to believe that becoming a partner in a law firm is not as common a goal as I believed it was 10 years ago.

List words that best describe you:

Creative, Perceptive, Focused